Hike Ireland: Connemara & Clare

Clare, Galway

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This example itinerary from

$5,000pp

5 days

Highlights

Hike the famous Cliffs of Moher with a local farmer as your guide
Enjoy wild picnics in secluded spots
Stay in two of Ireland’s castles as your hotels – surrounded by craggy hills and sweeping grounds
Join a lobster fisherman on a boat trip around Roundstone Bay, passing the seal colony
Hike the Twelve Bens with an expert guide and reach three peaks as you explore the unique mountain landscape

What’s Included

4 nights Bed & Breakfast
Specialist Guiding Experiences
Car hire throughout

Example Itinerary

Day 1-3 Day 3-5

Day 1-3

COUNTY CLARE, Ireland

Take a morning walk along the Atlantic coast to Ireland’s most famous scene – the Cliffs of Moher
Discover the extraordinary landscape of the Burren on a guided hike

Stay in the delightful Gregans Castle Hotel and join local experts and guides to discover the beautiful landscape of County Clare.

Gregans Castle enjoys a beautiful setting, on a shoulder of the spectacular Burren and with wonderful views across to Galway Bay. The Burren, indeed, is the main event here: this spectacular karst limestone upland is unique in Ireland.

Embark on a walk with the final destination that of Ireland’s most famous attraction – the Cliffs of Moher – with a local farmer and walking guide, Pat Sweeny. Take the 5km route, along a paved coastal path with the Atlantic Ocean by your side. You will have the privilege of seeing the natural beauty of the area and hearing the interpretation of past and present life from the perspective of a guide who has an enthusiasm and passion for the local area. The spectacular walk takes you through Pat’s own farm and you’ll reach the spectacular Cliffs of Moher just in time for a wild picnic lunch, away from the crowds of the attraction.

Then enjoy a guided walk through the extraordinary landscape of the Burren. The springtime and the summer in the Burren is the perfect time to take a close look at the various wildflowers. Some beautiful and unique species can be found with the right guide. With a bit of luck, you might even come across a herd of wild goats travelling sure-footed on the rocky Burren hillside.

Day 3-5

CONNEMARA, Ireland

Stay in an 18th-century castle and explore its craggy grounds
Head out on a boat for the perfect way to explore the Wild Atlantic Way

It will come as no surprise, being the capital city, that London holds the most significant Royal and Parliamentary seat of power.

In Connemara, with an expert local guide you will embark on a difficult four to six-hour off-trail mountain hike of three adjacent peaks in the rugged 12 Bens; Ben Lettery, Ben Gleniskey and Ben Gower. Enjoy wild mountain landscape, stunning views and spectacular blanket bog. The glistening quartzite peaks of the Twelve Bens of Connemara form a mountain landscape unique in Ireland and it is one that any serious walker will be drawn to eventually.

Ballynahinch Castle is set amid hundreds of acres of grounds and surrounded by the wild beauty of Connemara’s craggy mountains. The original 18th-century building has been much adapted over the years, but its key qualities –tranquillity, space, relaxed comfort and natural beauty – remain splendidly intact. Imagine a manor house on the edge of a peat-dark, salmon-rich river, surrounded by mature woodlands and with glimpses of the grey Twelve Bens mountain range beyond, and with the ocean just a few miles away: that’s Ballynahinch. The hotel is secluded, but no means isolated.

During your stay here, take a guided boat trip on Roundstone Bay and visit the deserted, picturesque island of Inishlacken with an experienced skipper and lobster fisherman from the nearby island of Inishnee. On your journey, you will pass a grey seal colony located in the Ballynahinch estuary, whilst also keeping your eyes peeled to the sky for numerous sea birds such as Terns, Guillemots, Gannets plus other thriving fauna. If you are lucky, you may even spot a dolphin, playing in the ocean.

The highlight of the trip for most is the visit to Inishlacken, an idyllic island of stone walls, white sandy beaches, nesting sea birds and ruined houses; echoing of a way of life now lost. With a population of nearly 200 residents in 1900, the last islanders departed in the 1980s. This is the perfect way to explore the Wild Atlantic Way, away from the road and out on the water itself.

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